Rail-joint.



V.' NELSON.

`mm 10m. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 24. 1918.

Patented Apt-29, 1919.

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VICTOR NELSON, or DUBOIS, WYOMING.

Specication of Letters Patent.

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Application led September 24, 1918. Serial No. 255,458.

To all 'Lo/tom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, VICTOR NELSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dubois, in the county ot Fremont and State of Vyonling, have invented certain new and useful Improvements-in Rail-Joints, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to rail joints, particularly to a rail joint that also forms a chair for supporting the connected ends of the rails and has for its object to lprovide a simple. strong and practical rail connection comprising a pair of angle bars which bear upon and grip the opposite sides of the rails and have each a horizontal foot plate, integrally formed with the bar that extends under the rail flange to t'orm a support for the rail. Each bar is furthermore provided with longitudinal reinforcingfuibs on its vertical lmember to increase its strength without adding materially to its weight, and with a spacing web intermediate its length between the angular member of' the bar and the foot plate to properly separate the ends of the connected rails.

lith this object in view, together with others which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the novel formation, combination and arrangement of parts, all as will be described more fully hereinafter, particularly pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the complete rail joint, and

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one of the rail joint bars as seen from the inner side.

In the drawing, 10 and 11 indicate the two splice bars of the rail joint, each bar being of angular shape in cross section, the upright or vertical member 12 of which bears against the web a of the rails A while the outwardly7 extending angular member 13 bears upon the top of the rail flange The vertical member 12 of the bar has its upper edge or head 14 turned toward the rails and is shaped to fit snugly against the under side of the rail head c and the web a in the angle formed by said head and the web. At the bottom of the member 12 on its inner side and at the angle formed by its junction with mein'ber 13 is a longitudinal rib 15 which bears against the bot-tom of rail web a in the an le formed by said web and the rail flange On the outer side of member L2 just below the head 14 is another reinforc `the ing rib 115 which entends from end to end of the splice bar and gives it additional strength to enable the joint to withstand the weight oi" passing trains.

Theleangular member 13 of each ,splice bar extends outwardly from the bottom of vert-ical member land bea-rs upon the upper surface of the rail flange 7), its outer edge 17 being notched as at 18 to receive the usual spikes which tasten the rails to 'the cross ties. 'Integral with the member 13 ot' each splice bar is a foot pla-te 19 that eX- tcnds inwardly from the edge 17 of said member in a horizontal direction below the rail flange 7) and forms a support for the connected ends of the two rails A. These plates extend toward each other and terminate near the center of the rail in close juxtaposition, forn'ling thereby with the members 1Q and 13, a rail chair.

Midway between the ends of each splice bar and extending upwardly from the plate 19 to the angular member 13 is a spacing web 2() against which web the ends of' the two rails abut, and which serves to space said ends and prevent creeping. Suitable openings Q1 are made in each bar for the 'fastening bolts Q9 which connect the splice bars to the rail ends and so complete the rail joint.

ln use, the splice bars 10, 11 are placed On opposite sides of the two rails to be joined and thc latter `moved toward each other until their ends abut against the web 20. The bolts 22 are then insertedin the openings 21 in the bars and through alined openings previously formed in the rail ends. The nuts are then screwed on the bolts and tightened, to press the bars tightly against the rails. The heads of the bars bear snugly in the angles at the top of the rail web a, the inner ribs 15 fitting the angles at the bottom of the web. The flanges b of the rail are held between the angular members 13 and plates 19 of the splice bars, the shape ot' these spaces conforming to the shape of the rail flanges insuring a close fit.

The ends ofthe plates are supported by cross ties and the rail oint is secured thereto by spikes driven in the notches 18, thus bringing the center of the joint above the space between the ties but due to the ribs 15, 16 and the foot plates 19, the splice bars are sufficiently braced to withstand all strains.

A. rail joint constructed as described is equally as strong as the rail, does not interfere with detector bars, and will inclose the largest single cable bond.

The foregoing description and the drawings have reference to what may be considered the preferred, or approved form of my invention. it is to be understood that I may make such changes in construction and arrangement and combination of parts, materials, dimensions, e't cetera, as may prove expedient and fall within the scope of the appended clain'is.

Having thus fully described my invention, what claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A rail joint comprising a pair of like splice bars each of angular section formed with a vertical member to bear against the web of the connected rails and an outwardly extending angular member to bear on the rail flanges, an inwardly turned upper edge to fit the angle between the web and head of the rails, a horizontal foot plate integral with said angular member and extending inwardly from its edge below the rails, and a vertical rail spacing web integrally con- Gopies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by

necting the foot plate andthe angular member intermediate the ends of the splice bar. A rail joint comprising a pair of like splice bars each of Lngular section formed with a vertical member to bear against the web of the connected rails and an outwardly extending angular member to bear on the rail flanges, an inwardly turned upper edge on the vertical member to fit the angle between the web and head of the rails, an exterior longitudinal rib immediately below said inturned edge7 an interior rib at the junction of the vertical and angular memi bers tting into the angle between the web and flange of the rails, a horizontal foot plate integral with said angular member and eX- tending inwardly from its edge below the rails, and a vertical rail spacing web between the foot plate and the angular member intermediate the ends of the splice bar.

In testimony whereof I afx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

VICTOR NELSON.

vWitnesses v RANFORD J. SAP?, FRANK A. lVnL'rY.

addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

